The Imperium and Its Discontents: A Few “Metaphysical” Remarks

A Heretic’s Log: A series of philosophical essays written between September 20, 2002 and July 15, 2004.

Usama Bin Laden was a disinherited man. His wealth notwithstanding, his voice was inaudible, his concerns irrelevant, his dreams and aspirations moot. He was not the only one in this position, of course. The world is full of such disinherited and dejected men. But then, not too many of them have had the opportunity to think of themselves as allies to the Powers That Be in this world, joined in a common cause against “Godlessness,” and not too many have had a taste of “victory,” albeit achieved through that old-fashioned, yet not so “honorable,” way that is gorilla warfare. Continue reading “The Imperium and Its Discontents: A Few “Metaphysical” Remarks” →

A Unity of Expectations

A certain unifying reality is continuously imposing itself upon us, all of us, regardless of how we choose to define ourselves or each other. This reality is called Modernity, and it is in fact a process, a very ruthless process, despite the ennobling ideas born out of it and those that gave it birth.

It is so, because it is uncompromising in its demand that our very sense of identity should be as fluid, continuous and, so seemingly unending, as history itself. Modernity does not accommodate a rigid sense of identity, those who exhibit or insist on having such a sense will always be in conflict with Modernity even when they seem reconciled with it. Continue reading “A Unity of Expectations” →

Clash of Civilizations or Conflict of Interests?

A Heretic’s Log: A series of philosophical essays written between September 20, 2002 and July 15, 2004.

The whole thesis of a clash of civilization could be approached and refuted from a variety of angles. One such important angle is that there are indeed no civilizations, but only one global civilization (western, so far) encompassing many cultures, with each culture witnessing an internal clash of values between modernity and tradition giving birth in the process to various fundamentalisms: Christian, Islamic, Jewish, Hindu, etc. Continue reading “Clash of Civilizations or Conflict of Interests?” →

Dialogue, or Negotiations?

A Heretic’s Log: A series of philosophical essays written between September 20, 2002 and July 15, 2004.

What does it mean to be patriotic these days? To love a given homeland? To have national belonging? Perhaps even a faith? Conversely, what does it mean to renege and betray? Or, more interestingly, to have a national or confessional enemy?

Indeed, what do any of these things mean these days, when borders, physical and mental, seem more foolish and macabre than they have ever been before? When no more mysteries seem to be left in the world? Or, to be more exact, when Science has managed to demystify the Unknown, and Technology has overcome Distance?[1] Continue reading “Dialogue, or Negotiations?” →